In the search for cable elevators I have found a wide variety of opinions, not only on what constitutes a scientifically smart elevator, but also, those who think it is all snake oil.
I use inverted yogurt cups spray painted flat black for maximum WAF on the speaker cables - should I be using them on power cables as well?
Well, haven't I heard it all now!! I respect the opinions of those that use them and those that don't - there is no such thing as the perfect system, if there was we would all have it - however, there are perfect systems in the ear of the beholder.
BTW, for you yogurt cup users - To maintain a consistent sound throughout the system I only use one flavor AND the ones I use are Lala Brand from Mexico. That's right kids, imported yogurt cups for that perfect tweak. It should be noted that they are painted flat black to mellow out the bass. Bright colors such as day-glo orange will cause the treble to get excessively bright and tends to lend a hint of Latina to all music selections.
Please do continue with your comments - I take the serious ones to heart and hope other readers are gaining insight as well. I have a good laugh over the remaining 80%. All are appreciated
As a follow-up to those that participated in this thread - Not only did I elevate the speaker cables and ICs as previously mentioned, I just elevated the power cords on the mono amps and put pipe insulation around the power cords for the APC and Processor since they are still on the floor. THEN, boy had I overlooked this, there is approximately 12 feet of excess SPDIF digital cable that runs under the floor from the iMac to the processor. That excess cable was coiled up under the computer desk and laying all over the surge protector. By installing three small cup hooks on the back of the computer desk I was able to wind the cable (very loose) around the hooks twice and up to the computer. Now it is off the floor, not coiled, and intersects power cords that hang down the back of the desk at sharp right angles. Now, for the first time ever in my tweaking endeavors have I noticed a distinct improvement in the sound - The music is much clearer than before. Oh, I should mention also, I eliminated the very short Toslink cable that ran from the back of the iMac to a Toslink/SPDIF converter and replaced it with a USB cable that goes to the same converter (also a USB/SPDIF converter). Maybe that was the big difference but whatever, elevating those cables, separating ICs and Speaker cables from cords, and the switch to USB has combined to make a big difference that I wouldn't have believed had I not heard it for myself.
Never have used them and never will!Could not hear a difference when I heard them in a over 100K system that I use as my reference. Serves no real purpose to me now that I'm older and wiser.I used to wonder why my ex wife would shake her head and laugh sometimes when I'd try to use the same pseudo science used on here and other forums and explain something that I never knew existed to begin with until I read about it in a magazine or an online forum!The Emperor has no clothes!
Elizabeth. You are so misstaken. I only use cable elevators made from baby seal skin, handclubbed in Labrador. It makes the sound so much more lifelike.
On youtube, Cardas has a few videos on everything from shielding to construction to forged spades.
Anyway, I found the video on "Current thru a cable" very interesting. If a lantern battery can cause those two wires to vibrate, then imagine what AC current thru a power cord can do to a nearby IC or speaker cable or even another PC.
What that video puts into perspective, to me, is that interaction between cables is very real. Enough to utilize cable elevators? Not sure, but enough to make me wonder about them.
Also, check out the videos on shielding. Even as the cables approach the table, you see there is interaction with it's surroundings. Again, enough to require cable elevators?
I believe Paul over at PS Audio sums it up best with his latest newsletter which I just recv'd...take care of the major tweaks first, matching gear, cabling, room conditioning and then smaller tweaks. He is using t-connectors from local Home Depot...go figure. With those savings I could buy one of his awesome products.
Have tried them in both main and BR systems and never heard them make a whit of difference. Maybe the type of carpet of flooring one had makes a difference.
At the beginning of these posts I said that it doesn't make a difference....however.... I just tried the 1 1/2 in sections of toilet tissue under the speaker cables and actually do hear a difference. The instruments are separated and not blurred (like wrong glasses prescription). I'll go back and try it again, but as of now I'm a believer. I noticed most high end cable has elaborate covering...mine is just 2 thin silver cables very lightly braided for each leg...that may be the difference.
Quick shout out to LIGO gravity wave detection experiment for winning the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. Couldn't have done it without tremendous team of vibration isolation experts.
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